Birthdate: June 1, 1982
Birthplace: Liege, Belgium
This Belgian native was a former number one ranked women's tennis player. Find out more about Justine!
Growing Up
Justine's natural talent for tennis was discovered at the age of six by her coaches at the local tennis club. Her mother used to take the young Justine on trips to watch the French Open - where she would watch her idol Steffi Graf play. She vowed to her mother (who passed away when Justine was 12) that she would win the French Open someday. When Justin was 15, she met Carlos Rodriguez, who became her coach and is still her coach to this day. In 1997, Justine won the junior girl's singles title at the French Open.Climb to the Top
Justine's first professional competition came in 1999, when she entered (and won) the Belgian Open. Her career started to take off in 2001, where she reached the finals of Wimbledon as well as the semi-finals in the French Open. The year 2003 was a breakthrough year for Justine, as she won her first Grand Slam - ironically the French Open. Since then, she has won four more Grand Slams including three more French Open titles. As of August 2007, Justine is the top ranked woman tennis player in the world, and is the top seed coming into the 2007 US Open.Playing Style
What makes Justine so good? She has the total package on the court. She is consistent, she is mentally tough and she is super competitive. She also owns one of the best backhands in tennis today. And don't let that tiny frame fool you - Justine can hit balls as hard as the best of them. Her serves have been clocked at 115 mph!Retirement
On May 14, 2008, Justine shocked the tennis world by announcing her retirement. At the time of retirement, the 25-year-old Justine was ranked number one in the world. Justine stated that she was tired of playing tennis and was ready to start the next phase of her life. She has no plans of ever returning.Did U Know?
Justine Henin Says...
"Sport remains something I love beyond everything. I obviously also love to win, I’m a competitor, but I also love the sacrifices that I must make to succeed. Believe me, there is no greater satisfaction than to succeed when you’ve invested everything you’ve got."Related Stories:
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